Wednesday, 29 October 2008

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) plans to put up two commercial buildings for petty traders in Mwanza and Arusha municipalities, the House was told here yesterday.

Labour, Employment and Youth Development Deputy Minister Dr. Makongoro Mahanga said this when responding to a question by a Special Seat MP, Maria Hewa who had wanted to know whether NSSF had taken heed of the advice by a special committee on Social Welfare, gender and children to construct buildings for various projects including for petty traders in the two major cities.

Monday, 27 October 2008

From 660 News, Calgary, Alberta, CANADABy Todd KaufmanA group of caring Albertans are busy trying to make a difference for an orphanage in Africa.The group is attempting to fill a huge shipping container with life's necessities for the children to be shipped over to Mwanza in the spring and they desperately need Albertans' help.

The Starehe Children's Home in Mwanza, Tanzania is run by Ron and Loudell Posein from Barrhead, Alberta.

Everything from helping hands, financial support and everyday items such as baby soap, clothing and farm equipment are needed.

One of the volunteers, Bev Morgan tells 660News on Sunday, the children are so appreciative with even the simplest things.

Sunday, 26 October 2008

Said Tambwe of Mwanza won the Redds African Fashion Design Awards (RAFDA) competition that was held at Kempinski Kilimanjaro Hotel in Dar es Salaam on Friday night. Led by Nelson Mandela shirt designer Sonwabile Ndamase, a panel of judges unanimously agreed that Tambwe deserved the ticket to go and represent the country in RAFDA fashion gala set for Botswana later this year.

Saturday, 25 October 2008

- The majority of the population in both rural and urban areas is currently food secure. However 240,544 people in localized areas of ten districts in Mwanza, Shinyanga, and Singida regions are moderately food insecure due the effects of 2008 vuli crop failure, below normal performance of masika rains, increasing transportation costs, and above normal increases in food prices.

- In the fourth quarter of 2008, households will likely remain generally food secure. Food prices will increase seasonably, but most households will have sufficient access given good recent harvests. The vuli and msimu rains will start on time, enabling agricultural activities to resume, generating income earning opportunities. The vuli harvest in January/February will increase food availability and access.

Friday, 24 October 2008

Various health, education, water supply and infrastructure development projects worth 14bn/- have been executed in Mwanza Region during the last two years, officials said.The projects were jointly executed by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF), district councils and communities.

Teachers in Mwanza City yesterday resolved to stage a demonstration to push the government to pay their outstanding claims in allowances and other dues.

Some teachers who converged at the Gandhi Hall to deliberate on the fate of their countrywide strike halted by the Labour Division of the High Court, asked union leaders to seek a permit to demonstrate.

"We're no longer in the mood to continue teaching. The TTU (Tanzania Teachers Union) must ensure it obtains permission for us to make a peaceful demonstration so that we can air our grievances," one of the teachers said.

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

Danish Queen Margrethe II will visit Tanzania for four days starting November 3 at the invitation of President Jakaya Kikwete. Danish Ambassador Bjarne Sorensen told reporters in Dar es Salaam, the queen will be accompanied by her husband Prince Consort and representatives of 40 companies.

A total of 30 journalists from minerals producing areas in the country are gathering in Mwanza city to discuss the latest mining report released by top religious leaders in Dar es Salaam last week.The three-day workshop has been organized by the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) and sponsored by the Norwegian Church AID (NCA).

CCT’s Communications and Media Advocacy Officer Rev John Magafu, said here yesterday at the end of the workshop the participants would be deployed in mining areas to make critical analysis of the report.He mentioned the target mines to be visited as Geita, Bulyanhulu, North Mara, Nzega and Buzwagi which is still under development.

Monday, 20 October 2008

President Jakaya Kikwete has called for a thorough crackdown on people behind the murders of albinos in the country.

His orders follow a countrywide outcry over the killings amid reports that more than 50 albinos were murdered since March last year.

The murderers are said to be using albino body parts in their superstitious search for riches. More than 58 people have recently been arrested in Mwanza, Mara, Kagera, Shinyanga, and Mbeya regions where the belief is rife among fortune seekers.

Sunday, 19 October 2008

The albino community in Dar es Salaam on Saturday took to the streets to protest against the killing of their members and urged the government to do more to protect them.

Killing of albinos of all ages is taking roots in the country as 30 of them have lost their lives within the past 12 months, with the highest number of killings taking place in the lake regions of Mwanza, Mara, Kagera and Shinyanga. Isolated cases have also been reported from Mbeya region.

The killings are spurred by superstitious beliefs of making quick money as witchdoctors advise their clients to get organs and body parts from albinos so as to become rich. Crime scenes are very gruesome - legs, hands, lips, fingers and toes are chopped off from the victims. No one has so far been convicted of the crimes although several people have been charged.

Saturday, 18 October 2008

The Sumatra safety officer in the Lake Zone, Mr Alfred Waryana, told journalists in his office that out of 1462 vessels inspected in Mara and Mwanza regions, 1,384 were not qualified to operate on the lake.

He said only 78 vessels were qualified to operate on the lake.

Almost all other vessels were either found faulty or having no essential facilities.

The Mwanza City TTU chairman, Mr John Kafimbi, said: "We urge you to be extra careful at this time when teachers countrywide are demanding their rights,including their allowance arrears, as you may be tricked into signing something, which lacks validity."

Mr Kafimbi was addressing hundreds of teachers, who had gathered at Gandhi Hall in the city, to deliberate on their planned countrywide strike, which was blocked by a court order early this week.

As the Mwanza teachers were being cautioned against appending their signatures to the "suspect" documents, in Dar es Salaam, the TTU went to court to contest an injunction granted by the Labour Court, barring them from going on strike.

Thursday, 16 October 2008

A week-long strike of Mwanza-based Mwaloni International Fish Market members has ended here amicably, following regional CCM's timely intervention.

Addressing a public rally at the market place on Tuesday, Mr Clement Mabina who previously held talks with Mwaloni Traders' Development Society (MWADESO), told audience their concerns had already been addressed.

He told them how he was extremely dismayed that his previous advice was not heeded by the city fathers, when he was on long tour of Ukerewe District. “The truth is that CCM had ordered the City Council to cease its contract with a tax collecting agent ", he revealed.

Addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the chairman of the Albinos Association Tanzania, Mr Ernest Kimaya, said presently 26 albinos have reportedly been killed, most of them women and children.

He said no suspect had been jailed as a result of the ritual killings as most went scot-free.

"We might be forced to seek refuge in a safe country if the Government will not make enough efforts against albino killings," he stated.

Mr Kimaya said since the Government had not been using enough power to control albino killings they would make a demonstration to act as a wake-up call so that the Government deals with the problem.

The film depicted various situations to show how Tanzania is failing to benefit from gold mining activities and was screened at a public forum in Dar es Salaam.

The report, the second by religious leaders, detailed the living conditions of local artisanal miners in Nzega in Tabora, Bulyanhulu in Kahama and Geita in Mwanza following physical visits and interviews.

Archbishop Mokiwa was among the clerics' group which visited these areas on a fact finding mission.

Religious leaders from the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT), the National Council of Muslims in Tanzania (BAKWATA) and the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) attended yesterday's press briefing.

Sunday, 12 October 2008

TOP Dar es Salaam-based basketball players Mohamed Ally ’Dibo’ and Jije Makani have been named in the Mwanza regional men’s basketball team that will compete in the Taifa Cup tournament scheduled for later this month in Dar es Salaam.

Skipper Kizito Bahati told THISDAY by phone from Mwanza yesterday that the inclusion of Dibo and Makani aims at strengthening the squad.

The two players, who hail from Mwanza, are part of the 17-man ’Rock City’ squad which is yearning to win the trophy for the first time.

Friday, 10 October 2008

Amber is a young woman with a generous heart and courageous spirit. On Sept. 10 she embarked on what she calls "the biggest adventure of my life so far": to Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania to spend seven weeks volunteering at Forever Angels, a home for orphaned and abandoned babies, some healthy and some who are sick, HIV positive or terminally ill.Amber took our family along via e-mail. Her stories have brought tears, prayers and renewed awareness that life for many is not as we live it in this country.

Thursday, 9 October 2008

Seventy finalists have been terminated from studies shortly before they sat for their final examinations at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT). Vice Chancellor Dr Charles Kitima said yesterday that the students could not be allowed to sit for exams because of indiscipline and absconding classes.

Wednesday, 8 October 2008

CANADA’S Artumas Group Inc (AGI) has said it expects a 300 megawatts (MW) natural gas-powered project it is working on in Mtwara Region to become operational in 2012.

The company’s Chief Executive, Steve Mason, said in an interview here that first stage feasibility work has already been concluded, but ’’we are looking at approximately four years of project development.’’

’’So hopefully, as we move towards 2012, we will be up,’’ he added.

Artumas, along with the government, is currently conducting a comprehensive feasibility study into the scheme, which will also involve the building of more than 500 kilometres of high voltage lines from Mtwara.

Tuesday, 7 October 2008

In what could be a first in the world, a fish species known as cichlids has been discovered by scientists in the act of splitting into two distinct species in Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake and one of the world’s biggest fresh water bodies.

This may be remarkable because what is causing them to diverge are adaptations to their vision as animals and plants try to cope with increased pollution and the effects of climate change.

The Pundamilia nyererei is a haplochromine type cichlid native to areas in the Mwanza Gulf region of Lake Victoria. This region consists of many islands where each island region has its own color variant of the fish.

Saturday, 4 October 2008

THE East and Central Africa Handball tournament is shrouded in uncertainty, as officials are locked in a tug of war regarding the venue and dates for the championship.

Tanzania Handball Association (TAHA) have announced to have shifted the tournament from Mwanza to Tanga and its due on October 16 whereas Mwanza Handball Association (MWAHA) claims the tournament would be held in Mwanza come November.

MWAHA Chairman Joseph Mbeho yesterday told the ‘Sunday News’ that TAHA Secretary General Sudi Omari assured him the tournament would be held in Mwanza.

Thursday, 2 October 2008

A reader reacting to a recent BBC News Magazine article on the factors that combine to add quality to airports has this to say: "Efficient, calm and pleasant - now that's how an airport should be."

Meanwhile, according to the article, it took the expenditure of sterling pounds 4.3 billion over 20 long years making flying from or doing business at London's Heathrow an experience as stress-free and enjoyable as was humanly possible.

By all indications, Tanzania Airports Authority director general Prosper Tesha would like to help work the realisation of similar achievements in our country.

That is if his remarks at a forum for aviation stakeholders held in Mwanza on Tuesday are anything to go by.